I absolutely love the look of clawfoot bathtubs with their undersides painted black. Matte, glossy, semi. Whatever. A high end fixture manufacturer (I won't name names) has been making this tub for awhile now and it. is. pricey. Absurdly pricey. On a recent restoration project I was working on, we proposed using aforementioned tub, which the client loved, but budget restrictions forced us to look for an alternative.
We ended up using a less expensive but lovely clawfoot tub with a white underside and had the painter paint it and the legs black. It cost us one third what the other tub would have. He used an industrial spray-on enamel, something you can find at a good paint store like Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore. I also think it is something you could definitely DIY, with someone to help with the heavy lifting!Credit: photos are from Living Etc. and Marie Claire Mason both via Design is Mine.
We had an old one in the woods that I wanted to install when we built our house. It was going to cost a fortune to get it re-done. We put it out at the end of the drive and two guys picked it up in a matter of minutes. They will take ANYthing off the curb in our neighborhood..including my parents broken hot water heater last weekend. I have regretted putting that beauty at the curb ever since. Serious weak moment...sigh...
Posted by: Beegirl | 2009.06.24 at 06:27 PM
Great tip. This is such a wonderful look:)
Posted by: Carolina Eclectic | 2009.06.24 at 10:47 PM
I know. I have a couple of those treasures on the brain that I wish I would have kept. I am constantly trying to balance my need for purging and letting go of things with wanting to keep a lot of things that I think I might want someday or could do something cool with. I won't tell you how many old window sashes I am currently storing in our garage with hopes to 'use' them sometime in the house as decoration.
Posted by: erinn | 2009.06.25 at 04:23 PM
I really like the black outside. i had never really thought about it being anything but white. we had one in my house growing up. I think the black looks so much more interesting! Thanks for the inspiration! now, if I had just been stalking beegirl's house, i could have claimed her's...
Posted by: Amy | 2009.06.26 at 02:39 AM
I love how the tubs look painted black. Very handsome!
Posted by: kathleen | 2009.06.26 at 08:30 AM
That's a smart saving tip. Your clawfoot bathtubs looks great in that black paint.
Posted by: Patrice | 2009.06.26 at 10:37 PM
Love your pictures especially the bathroom with the claw bathtub. I love the dark walls with the white tub really pops. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: thibaut fabric | 2009.06.27 at 03:34 AM
Before I got married, I lived in an apartment with a great claw foot bathtub. I painted the outside white and then painted little silver swirls all over it. How I miss that tub!
Posted by: Rita | 2009.06.28 at 01:46 PM
My house is very new and modern. I wish there was more of a touch of creativity like your clawfoot tub. I have always thought they look so cool!
<3 Lindsay
Posted by: Water Damage Arizona | 2009.06.29 at 02:10 PM
The black wall, the tub and yellow chair. GORGEOUS. Loving this bathroom.
Posted by: Jenna | 2009.09.10 at 06:37 PM
The bathtub is really cute and the black at the bottom makes it very attractive too...what is the size of the tub?
Posted by: woodwork | 2010.04.27 at 11:30 PM
Very creative bathtubs. This is my first time to see a bathtub with black outside. I think I should also paint all bathtubs in our house to make it look like your bathtub. Your bathtubs are so class.
Posted by: dining room tables | 2010.07.22 at 03:22 AM
I love that the black outside....Me wanna have one in my house too.... http://www.edgonline.com/ I think the black looks so much more interesting and perfect...
Posted by: Home theater construction | 2011.01.19 at 06:58 AM
I'm loving the creative baths ;) just what i'm looking for for my bathroom.
i think these baths would fit perfectly, along with some great Bathroom lighting
Posted by: jamie | 2011.04.13 at 05:38 AM